It's the classic special touch: adding a little something on top. For instance, pie is great. Pie with whipped cream is awesome. A beautiful blend of fabrics in a simple patchwork pattern is always good. Overlaying that patchwork with embroidery can be great. It's a simple way to make a stunning statement.

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The biggest sewing category around the world isquilting. If you've been thinking about jumping on the bandwagon, we have a detailed, five-part Quilting Basics Series and have included links to all the parts below. It's a great way to get started. This decorative throw for the foot of the bed is our way to show off the quilting features of Janome's sewing and quilting machines. We chose the Horizon Memory Craft 8900 QCP. A bed runner is lovely to look at, and it helps protect a fancier full-size quilt or bedspread. You can sit on a bed runner or even stretch out and place your feet on it. Ours finishes at approximately 92" x 34" and is sized for a king or queen mattress. The sample runner is shown on a king; there would simply be more drape down either side on a queen. We've done basic nine-patch blocks with each inner block made up of four pieced triangles. The clever mixing of colors creates a three-dimensional effect within each of the inner blocks as well as in the finished nine-patch itself. Stitching in the ditch was used to quilt the center blocks, while the inner and outer borders are done with free-motion stippling.

Fast, meet fabulous. Together, you're going to turn an ordinary gift card into a personalized present. With a little bit of felt and a few rows of pretty decorative stitching, you can whip out a cute-as-a-button sleeve in which to slip a gift card in about five minutes flat. We show you several options for marking and stitching. Need to finish in under five minutes? Just add the stitching along the front and leave the back plain. Either way, it's one pretty little pocket.

Each year, Janome comes out with a special limited edition sewing machine model with your favorite features, tons of great decorative stitches, and in a cool color combo to brighten your sewing space. Last month, at the industry's largest trade show in Las Vegas, Janome America debuted this year's model: the DC2015. A striking red and white computerized model with power, precision, and several new standard features. We took a quick tour, and we're more than ready to find the DC2015 a permanent home in our Sew4Home studios.

Start with a simple yet bold fabric, add some distinctive decorative stitching, and the result is a stunning table runner that's a perfect backdrop for an upcoming Easter gathering or any occasion that calls for a pretty table setting. Remember, "Life is short; use the good china!" We chose a canopy stripe fabric, which is easy to find in a myriad of colors. Thanks to our amazing Janome studio machines, we found the perfect stitch pattern, picked a strong contrasting thread color, and sewed our long lines of embellishment with perfect form and precision... even when running for over 100 inches! Industry-leading stitch quality is one of the main reasons we are so happy to be an exclusive Janome studio. Across thin voile hems or heavy canvas seams, we have smooth needle penetration from the first stitch to the last.

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I still remember the first sewing machine I bought with a full compliment of decorative stitches. I was in seventh heaven. It felt like the same unbridled choice as when you open a fresh box of 64 crayons. Variety unleashed! But we often get so busy with the construction process, we forget about all those great stitches. Not today! Most machines have at least some decorative stitches, many of them, like our wonderful Janome studio machines, have hundreds! This pillow project gives you three different decorative stitching options to try, and we've included three template downloads to re-create our exact designs. There are random intersecting lines, which allow you to mix and match a variety of stitches. Our starburst showcases the option to program stitches, creating what appears to be individual dots. And finally, we give you the steps to stitch a spiral, using a padded satin stitch in variegated thread. It's all to encourage you to take advantage of your patiently-waiting decorative stitches... or maybe it's time to look for a new model with even more selection.

When we've talked about cutting tools here on Sew4Home, we've mentioned things like scissors, shears, snips, and rotary cutters. All of these are essential to your sewing tool kit. But there's another kind of cutting tool we haven't talked about. One that's so advanced you might think we borrowed it from the Jetsons. It's called a digital cutter, and the one we're talking about specifically is the Edge Digital Cutter from Artistic. It's no exaggeration to say this device will open up whole new areas for you in sewing, quilting, paper crafts, stenciling, and more. When you learn what it can do, your own creative ideas are going to explode. So read on, then tell us what you'd make with an Edge Digital Cutter, and you could win one!

THIS GREAT GIVEAWAY CLOSED 1/16/15. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED.

We just finished putting the new Janome Skyline S5 through its paces. Make sure you check out our full review. But, of course, the very best way to find out if a machine is the new love of your life is to use it to make a full project. We chose a bold oversize clutch that could test a number of our favorite features, such as: layers, precision topstitching, tight corners, and decorative stitching.

In the Sew4Home studios, we’re dedicated fans of Janome sewing machines and sergers; in fact, they're our exclusive sewing machine sponsor. So we were delighted when Janome offered us a brand new Skyline S5 to test drive! They call the machine, "Anything but Average," and we could certainly see why. This computerized sewing machine has many features previously found only on Janome’s most top-of-the-line models. And like all the Janome models, the precision and ease-of-use right out of the box doesn't disappoint.

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Most of us understand how to sew on a button. If not, we have tutorials on sewing them on by hand as well as by machine. Pretty darn easy either way, and not scary at all. But buttonholes are a whole different matter. At the end of your project, after you've put in so much work, it's time to put in the buttonholes. You should be happy you're almost done. But for many of us, beads of sweat start to form across our brows and we wonder, "Am I about to ruin everything by botching the buttonholes?" Well, you can stop sweating, because it's really not that hard once you break it down into individual steps.